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Just cannot sell - don't know what to do next...

03-09-2011, 08:15 AM

We have been on the market for 18 months now and believe it or not we have only had 7 viewings. We have reduced the price by £ 25,000 but funnily enough we had most viewings at the higher price although that was 18 months ago. We do operate as a very small guest house as we are on the Norfolk coast but -it is very tasteful and "well appointed" as the agents say!! We are selling with a residential agent as well as a commerical agent and nothing. All the feedback from the viewings have not been critical of the property - in fact very complimentary but always one point which doesn't suit potential buyer - and all different points so it doesn't come down to any one thing. Our town is fairly small and quiet and attracts the retired population and people looking for holiday homes - could this be the problem - we feel maybe the agents are not proactive enough as the general attitude in this area is a bit "sit back and let it happen". We have put the property on sites like Gumtree, Facebook, Ebay and other online sites and have actually had more interest but not anything specific - some silly offers etc. Is there any more we can do or is it just the ecomonic climate and being in a quieter rural area.

Just to qualify this, I'll tell you about what happened when I recently sold my house.

I put my semi detached house on the market earlier this year and by coincidence my adjoining neighbour's house went up for sale in the same week. Identical houses, both in immaculate condition, put on at the same price, but with different agents.

I got 5 viewings and sold to the fifth viewer and the whole transaction went through within 4 months of going on the market. The next door house still hasn't sold and at the time I moved out, not a single viewing had taken place. There wasn't anything that made my house better than next doors, so I can only put it down to the agent. Mine was extremely pro-active and professional, the agent my neighbour used was lazy and amateurish

Comment

Thanks for reply - we have already decided that the agents in our town are very much "sit back and let it happen" in fact that is the general attitude in this area and we guess that rubs off on the agents and as long as their bread and butter is with the easier sales (ie. lots of two bed retirement bungalows) they are not proactive with the not so easy sales. We have engaged a city agent now - who do seem much more motivated - they actually contacted us because they saw our private advert on Gumtree - so hopefully this will work.

Comment

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